Using auditory or tactile stimulation, Sensory Substitution Devices (SSDs) provide representations of visual information and can help the blind "see" colors and shapes. SSDs scan images and transform the information into audio or touch signals that users are trained to understand, enabling them to recognize an image without seeing it. Currently SSDs are not widely used within the blind community because they can be cumbersome and unpleasant to use. However, researchers have now developed a novel SSD that transmits shape and color information through a composition of pleasant musical tones, or "soundscapes."View full story